Electric socket plug



Jah. 15,y i935. G. A. 'EBERHARDT 4 1,987,772

ELECTRIC SOCKET PLUG Filed Jan. s, 193s 'if M4 ffll yPatented Sara. 15, 1935 A. l y QZ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,987,772 ELECTRIC SOCKET PLUG Gustav A. Eberhardt, Oak Park, Ill. Application January 3,1933, serial No. 649,930 sclaims. (011732-332) My invention relates to improvements in elecand be clampingly engaged by the interior contric socket plugs, and has for an object the 'tact members 21 and 25. Binding bolts 29 secure provision of a device which is economical to the interior contact members together and seat manufacture and yet which, because of its' conin recesses 30 which are of appropriate size and struction, will insure a much superior electrical' shape to afford a top abutting wall for said 5 circuit and thus conserve electricity, render betcontact members. Between each pair of contact ter service and longer service, and be particularly members is inserted an anchoring plate 31 durable. adapted to seat in recesses 32 for the purpose Another object is the provision of 'a device of further securing saidv contact members in which may be used with diierent sized and proper position.

shaped contact members and yet provide a good Above binding bolts 30 are provided recesses circuit. 33, and they are bounded by partition walls 34 Another object is the provision ofl a device and 35 having space therebetween for the paswhich may be readily taken apart for adjustsage of wires 36.- As can be seen in Figs. 2, 3, and

ment, replacement of parts or any other purpose 4, one of said wires 36 after leaving recess 33 15 of like character. passes through recess 37 in casing member 11,

Another object is the-provision of'such a and crosses from one side of the device under device which may be adjusted from its exterior cylindrical partition member '38 and bothwires and be caused toA grip more tightly its counterthen nd their exit through passage 39 which is part contact members. provided interiorly thereof with a groove 40 20 My invention may be best understood by referadapted to receive an insulating collar 41 having ence to-the accompanying drawing in which the secured thereto a spring sheathing 42 which preferred form of my invention is illustrated, and embraces wires 36. in which y Interiorly of cylindrical partition 38 is ar,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my device;v ranged a cylindrical plug 43 receiving centrally 25 Fig. l2 is a sectional view taken substantially thereof a threaded bolt member 44 having a on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; f wing nut head 45. -Pin 46 passes through plug Fig. 3 is a sectional'vew taken substantially 43 and bolt 44 and extends on each'side of said y Orl-the line 3-3 .0f Fig. 2;' plugA into groove 47. Adjacent the bottom of l '30 Fig. 4 is a sectional view takensubstantially plug 43, and separated therefrom by a small 30 011 the' line 4-4 0f Fig- 2; amount of space, may be arranged a cylindrical Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially block 48 provided with longitudinally extending` on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;' and beads or keys 49 which in turn seat in and are Fig. 6 is a detail view showing one of 'my arranged for sliding moti'on in longitudinal contact members and the device used in anchorgrooves 50. To the lower portion of block 48 35 i118 the Same. I are secured depending bifurcatcd portions 51 f Ascan 'be seen in Fig. 1, my device comprisesl which meet and receive pin 52 which pivotally a plug 10 having casing members 11 and 12 secures wedge member 53 to the lower portion partly secured together by a ring 13- seating ofA block 48. Centrally of block 48 and extendin groove 14, and further held together by Iing longitudinally thereof is a threadedbore 40 clamping band 15. Seating between bosses 16 for the reception of the threaded end of bolt and 17 and shoulders 18 ,and 19 a casing mem- 44. Wedge member 53 ispreferably made of ber 11 is provided with aprojecting lug 20 which nonconducting material such as hard rubber or extends across the entire Width of the casing, composition .of similar characteristics, and is and it can thus be seen that member 12 is conprovided with angular side faces 54 and 55 45 siderably shorter than member 11. which extend downwardly and between cam Interiorly of my device are provided spring members 26 on contact members 25. contact members 21 seating in pockets 22 pro- In operation it can be seen that contact memvided in the interior portion of the lower end bers 21 and 25 may be caused to embrace more I of member 11. Between oppositely disposed contightly contact members 27 by turning wing 50 tact members 21 are provided recesses 23 and 2 4 nut head 45 which is exterior of the device and in members 11 and l2, respectively. `In said resecured to bolt 4 4 which is keyed vto plug 43 by cesses 23 and 24 are placed contact members 25 pin 46 which bears in groove 47. Since bolt 44 having cam portions 26. Contact members 27 threadedly engages block 48, it causes the downare adapted to be inserted through bores 28 Ward movement of wedge member 53 Whose side 55 surfaces 54 and 55 impinge on cam members 26 secured to contact members 25 and cause said members to move toward members 21 and engage contact members 27 more tightl Because of the pivotal connection of wedge member 53 to the lower ends of block 48, it can be seen that the wedge is free to move laterally of the device and thus compensate for a condition in-which one of said contact members 27 is securely held while the other is only loosely held.

When it is desired to remove the plug from the contact members 27, wing nut 45 may be turned in the reverse direction and thus raisewedge member 53, and contact members 25, because of theirv resilient nature, will tend to return to their normal positions as shown in Fig. 2.

The two members 11 and 12 may be removed one from the other by the removal of clamping ring 14 which is split, and the removal of clamping band 15 which is also split and will slide downwardly over bosses 16 and 17.

. While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification Without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described, com.

tially the same plane, cam surfaces on said con-f` tact members, a wedge cam member disposed between said movable contact members, and operable connections for causing said wedge cam member to operate on said cam surfaces to separate said movable contact members and press them against the prongs of a cooperating contact member.

2. A device of the character described. comprising a casing, a pair of movable contact members within said casing and lying in substantially the sam'e plane, cam surfaces on said contact members, a pivotally mounted wedge cam member disposed between said movable contact members, A,and operable connections for causing said wedge cam member to operate on said cam surfaces to separate said movable contact members and press them against the prongs of a cooperating contact member.

3. A device of the character described lcomprising a casing, two pairs of contact members within said casing, one of each of said pairs of contact members being movable toward the other of its pair so as to grip a prong contact member between each pair of contact members,

a movable member separating said movable contact members and adapted when moved to move said movable contact members a rgreater distance apart and press each of said movable contact members toward the other of its pair, a manuallyoperable member exteriorly of said casing, and operative connections between said manually operable member and said movable member.

GUSTAV A. EBERHARDT. 

